Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Can the minister confirm that the Morrison-Joyce government rejected the Kaban wind and battery project that would provide dispatchable power to 96,000 homes and create 250 regional jobs in the Atherton Tablelands? Why did the government oppose regional jobs?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know where the regional jobs lie. Do you know what's special about Muswellbrook? It's a mining town. Singleton's a mining town. But I don't know one town in Australia about which you would say, 'That is a renewable energy town,' and that's the—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's the ground truthing of it.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister can resume his seat. The member for McMahon on a point of order?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order on direct relevance. Muswellbrook is not in the Atherton Tablelands. The jobs are in the Atherton Tablelands.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister is 29 seconds into the answer. He's entitled some context. I'm listening closely to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very aware of Atherton—Tolga, Mareeba. I've spent a lot of time up there—I would suggest a lot more time than the member for McMahon has. But if the member for McMahon is so sure in his belief of the renewable jobs, as he states, then I can understand why he stands by why he would want a renewable windfarm off the coast of Manly. I understand why he'd do that—as he nodded in the previous answer when I asked him whether he'd want that—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the Deputy Prime Minister needs to deal with the question that's been asked, not the previous question.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will make sure that we talk about and are very protective of the jobs that we in regional Australia have now. We are not going to go to the people of regional Australia and tell them that, for the sake of the zeitgeist of the Labor Party, we will put them out of a job. We are making sure that we protect the jobs now. If the leader of the Labor Party, the member for Grayndler, wants to stand by those mining jobs, wants to stand by coalmining, let him come to the dispatch box right now and say so.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to your previous ruling. If the Deputy Prime Minister continues to make assertions and to invite the opposition to take action, then, when we don't, people reading it will assume that that provides an answer in itself—the fact that we can't answer. I'd ask you to consider the ruling—not necessarily now—and report back at another time about this process, because it will disrupt the parliament.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I won't report back. I can report now. I do say to ministers that they can't invite a member to do something that they're not able to do under the standing orders. They simply can't do that in question time or in any other part of the day, so what I am seeking to do is to avoid that happening. It has happened from time to time since question time was invented, but it's better if it doesn't happen. And I should say that the tone of questions is also reflective of that sentiment.